Zaccheroni told FIFA.com: "It was a struggle to get the list down to 23. I wanted to call up (FIFA president) Sepp Blatter and ask him to let me pick more.

“But this group of players knows how I want them to play tactically and understands the team ethic.

"We need to make sure our conditioning is perfect. I don't wish to make concrete predictions, and if we lose we'll take it on the chin. But if we play to our potential we have a chance. We're positive. Let's see how far it takes us."